Lady of the Sand
by Eternal White Rose
Summary: "Ah, 'Me Príl'. Directly translates to 'Sand Woman'. A romance, of an indigenous man and a woman from outside of his culture. A classic story of our people." Ganondorf meets Zelda at a young age, and instead of thirsting for her death, he overtime bonds with her in a way that has never been seen before in Gerudo-Hylian history. This is the tale of their marriage.
1. Zi

_Zi_

* * *

Ganondorf Dragmire is on the tail end of his teenage years when he first meets the princess of destiny.

She's a tiny child, no more than six years old, holding onto her father's robes as he's standing at the throne, and Ganondorf frowns. He expected that the princess would at least be closer in age, if they are to be at war like all their past incarnations. He can't possibly fight a _child._ He may have a vendetta for the daughter of Wisdom, but his morals do not allow him to attack children; they're viewed as sacred to the Gerudo.

(As are women, but Ganondorf stopped considering that the princess was spared from death when the child of Courage more than one lifetime ended up being a woman, and he was forced to fight her. It went against everything he was taught, but it had to be done.)

He's here to shadow the current leader of the Gerudo, Lisasu, the last woman to hold that position until he is of age to take the throne, during a political meeting with the king of Hyrule. In the recent cycles of his reincarnation, there have been… _strides_ taken to lessen the bloodshed between the Hylians and the Gerudo, but the animosity is still there and it never really seems to go away. His sisters have whispered of hope in this lifetime, because there's already established trade, Gerudo living close to the Hylian land, on the border of Hyrule and the desert, and some women have even been called to the castle to work under the king as messengers. Not quite advisers, which Ganondorf would like because they'd be much closer to the king, but being in the castle was good enough.

He'd ruin it though, he muses as his sister holds out her hand to tell him to stop, so she can approach the throne and greet the king. Ganondorf always ruins the peace because that wretched Hero always comes around to thwart his plans and in turn Ganondorf must always resort to destruction and chaos.

This time will probably be no different.

"King Daphnes," Lisasu greets in Hylian, bowing her head slightly. There's an accent on her tongue and he's sure if he was to speak up he'd have it too. But he held his tongue. He was taught to speak when was spoken to if he wasn't the highest rank in the room. He watches as the king bows his head and the small princess next to him lets go of his robes so he can sit. Daphnes extends his hand to her and she climbs onto his lap, keeping her blue eyes on Ganondorf the entire time.

Any thought he had that she was a weak princess is blown away. Zelda looks much smarter than she seems to be. Ganondorf has to still his features so he doesn't make a face or lift a brow and have her see it. Stoic is how things get done in the political world, his sisters taught him.

A few harsh whispers from the corners of the room are also threatening to ruin his mask, because Hylian nobles are Hylian nobles and all they ever do is gossip.

"How is everything in the desert?" Daphnes asks, fingers curling around the armrests of his massive throne.

 _Hot and dreary like it's always been,_ Ganondorf thinks.

"Prospering," Lisasu replies, and again, under the scrutiny of Zelda's unwavering eyes, he has to make sure his don't roll. "Our economy has been booming lately and our relationship with the Hylians at our border is doing very well."

"I see. Very good. May I inquire as to who you have brought with you…?"

"Yes," Ganondorf steps forward at her response, flexing in his stomach in when her hand gets close to hitting him by accident. "This is Ganondorf. He is next in line as king."

The room goes silent, and Ganondorf finally allows his facial features to move as both his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. It seems like everyone in this age is _educated_ about the past, how interesting. Normally, when he makes an appearance at the castle without the blatant intent to take over people welcome him with open arms as the 'king of a broken race', among other names but now, as he looks around, everyone stares at him in shock.

Except for the young princess. She's still looking at him with that blank stare, as if she's trying to get under his skin.

"Your Majesty," Ganondorf greets, without a bow, but a greeting is a greeting and Daphnes should be satisfied with just that.

His sister shoots him a glare, and in harsh whispered Ehenív reprimands him, " _Sa Éri." My prince._

" _Kaf?"_ He asks, turning his head to her.

" _Piki ash va Tif." That is the king._

Ganondorf steels his eyes back to the princess, and steps back to stand once again behind Lisasu. " _Sa Tif, ka'as mus."_

 _He's not my king._

His sister guards him wearily, before turning back to Daphnes and bowing her head. "I apologize for his rudeness. There is still much that we must teach him."

Daphnes chuckles and pets his daughter's head, smiling slightly when she tips her head back to look at him, finally breaking the eye contact with Ganondorf. "I understand. Raising this one as a single parent is not the easiest."

Zelda looks back at Ganondorf and the larger man tenses, not because he would have been caught slouching (maybe, he isn't too keen on keeping posture just yet but his sisters are constantly drilling him on it) but because her stare feels like it's going right _through_ him. Like she's looking beyond his professional mask and seeing right into the various plans he has to maybe take over Hyrule in this lifetime. Maybe, if there's no child of Courage to screw everything over.

Lisasu and Daphnes continue a conversation for another hour or so, and during that time servants walk in and out of the throne room, always casting the young man a side glance and looking away when he meets their eye. At some point the minister walks in, a short, balding round man that Ganondorf can only recognize through Lisasu's stories of her ventures to the castle. A few other Gerudo also walk in, and Ganondorf takes a step or two back so to not interfere with the main conversation in the room and allow his other sisters to bow and talk with him. He relishes in their use of their mother tongue; he loves the Hylian language, even if he won't admit it, but listening to it for a hour like this without having much of an input is exhausting to his ears.

"Zelda," he hears Daphnes call suddenly, and Ganondorf mutters an apology to his sisters and looks over to the throne. Instead, everyone is looking at _him,_ or, rather, at his feet, and when he looks down, the small princess is standing there, listening in. He's sure that she can't understand a lick of Ehenív, but there's a glint in her eye that tells him she might just be fascinated with the way it sounds. The throne room has gone completely silent, and then he can hear a few people take in a breath as the young girl looks up at him and raises her arms in a silent plea to be lifted.

Ganondorf blinks, and in low, accented Hylian, asks, "Do you wish to listen?"

Zelda nods frantically, and a small smile curls up onto her lips. Ganondorf bends down and lifts her by the underarms, settling her securely on his hip as he nods once to the king. Daphnes visibly calms down, returning to his conversation with the Gerudo leader. Zelda doesn't say anything, instead she intently looks at Ganondorf and then at the other Gerudo women as they begin to gush over the princess. " _And vés!"_ one of them says, and the other nods enthusiastically.

" _Twin isk wadala!"_

Zelda pokes Ganondorf's cheek and he glances at her, clearing his throat. "They say that you are pretty, like a flower."

She blushes, and looks over at the redheaded women, who smile. "Thank you," she whispers, clinging to Ganondorf's clothing.

They both nod and return to their conversation with the prince, stopping every once in a while when Zelda pokes Ganondorf as a way to ask for translation. She's intuitive; she only asks when the conversation topic turns light and not about politics, and quite frankly, Ganondorf doesn't _mind_ taking a moment to think about what a word in his language means in order to translate it to Hylian. He's never had anyone apart from his people have an avid interest in their language.

Let alone anyone of the _Royal Family_ asking for translations so they can somewhat keep up. There's something obviously different about this Zelda, and Ganondorf isn't sure if he likes it yet or not. Maybe when she gets older he'll have a firmer grasp of what her character is like. Now, however, he'll let her indulge in the interests.

" _Ash grut isk rand salit ehenív?"_ he asks, and the women think for a second.

" _És ashkia lniv."_ With a bow, one of them leaves, and Zelda pokes Ganondorf, but instead he smiles and winks. She pouts and pokes him harder, enough to move his head to the side and he reaches over to playfully bite at her fingers. She giggles loudly, and he sees Daphnes startle in his throne, but relax almost immediately when he realizes that there's no harm being done to his daughter. He then calls for the group to move into the dining room, because he doesn't want his esteemed guests to be tired after traveling across the scorching desert and then standing in a drab throne room for hours.

(Ganondorf may have added an extra adjective or two that the king didn't use, but it gets the point across all the same).

When they sit in the dining room, Ganondorf expects Zelda to return right back to her father's side but instead she clambers up onto his lap and waits for the conversation to begin again, blue eyes shining.

They're all a few minutes in to their newest conversations when his sister rushes into a room, a thick book wrapped in her arms. She hands it to Ganondorf and he smiles at the cover. It's not like the book he learned Ehenív in, but as he flips through he can catch that it's still a very good source of information about their language. He puts in on the table and taps it, switching to Hylian, "This is a book that teaches my language. If you wish to learn, it will help you."

She beams at him and opens it, scanning the beautifully written words as well as their translations. Ganondorf watches her with a small smile and answers any of her short questions, a little glad that she'd resigned from poking him and instead started turning to face him and speak. Sometimes she'd still hesitate in the middle of her question, glance back at Daphnes, and upon seeing him still deep in conversation with the Gerudo leader she'd continue asking her question. Clearly she wasn't allowed to ask too much around her father, and Ganondorf does his best to not show his irritation towards the king. A child's innocent curiosity is the best thing about them, and for King Daphnes to clearly strip it away from the daughter of Wisdom…

Ganondorf may be at an eternal war with Hylia's descendant but this is just _cruel._ Every Zelda he's faced was well-rounded, both in combat and knowledge, and some he's known since they were young (not as young as this one, but young enough). Even at their tender ages, they've been insightful and an active part of the kingdom, giving their opinions on how to rule whenever they could.

He'll cough up whatever fondness he has for Zelda to her being a child. Because he's never had such intense feelings for a daughter of Wisdom that _weren't_ inherently murderous.

They go on for quite a while until dinner is served, and Zelda grabs the book to go to her seat by Daphnes as the servants and cooks prepare the table for the meal. The king looks over at the leather bound tome in his daughter's hands and his smile, however faint it already was, fades. "What is that, Zelda?" he asks, and instinctively she holds it closer to her and scoots to the edge of her chair.

"A book on Lord Ganondorf's language," she replies, and the table has gone silent so they can hear her quiet voice.

"Ehenív?" Daphnes looks up and locks eyes with Ganondorf. "I wasn't aware we had a book on it."

"Considering how close Hyrule and the Gerudo have been, it should not be that much a surprise," Ganondorf all but snarls, wincing as Lisasu jabs him in the side, but doesn't let up his glare. "My sisters work in your castle, you should have expected that a book on my language would wind up within these walls."

Daphnes sits back and holds out his hand, frowning when Zelda turns away from him even more. He clears his throat and she pushes the book to him, and he opens it to scan its pages. He closes it and instead of returning it to his daughter, he hands it to a servant with a pointed look that Ganondorf catches. He grounds his teeth but doesn't say anything.

They continue dinner in silence, and Ganondorf and his sister bow in farewell for the night so they can head back to the inn at the outskirts of town in order to leave early in the morning for the desert. Zelda looks saddened that they're leaving, so he waves over a sister and asks quietly, "Is there a way to send Zelda things without anyone else finding out?"

She thinks for a moment and nods. "I can deliver them."

Ganondorf smiles, and holds his hand out for Zelda to approach. She happily does, and he crouches down to be at eye level with her. "I will send some books from the desert, is that okay?" When she nods excitedly, he pats her head. "And you will keep it from your father?" Zelda nods again, and Ganondorf's sister calls for him from the door. "We will meet again." He kisses her hand, and stands up straight, shooting one last dirty look at Daphnes before stepping out of the dining room and falling in step with Lisasu.

"Your behavior today was less than dignified," she says as they walk, in Ehenív so the guards stationed around won't catch onto their conversation. "Normally I would be disappointed, but I could see that there was something more to it. You were oddly... _connected_ to the young princess."

"Her father has tight reigns on her," Ganondorf replies, rolling his shoulders when they finally make it outside. "I don't like children being kept from what they are capable of. I can clearly see she's being kept from her full potential, and I would rather fight a princess that can fight back than one that will just once again hide behind the child of Courage."

His sister eyes him, before smiling softly. "You don't wish to fight her."

Ganondorf growls. "Shut up."

She's right.

* * *

 _welcome to 'diane promised shed never write a zelgan fic when she was younger but then she read a bunch of them and then oops'_

 _honestly zelgan has my heart like ghiralink has my soul_

 _i read all reviews and love them dearly so dont be afraid to leave your opinions!_

 _*Va Ehenív is the fictional language of the Gerudo created by Nina-Kristine Johnson. I'm slowly learning it, so the grammar might be off, but it isn't used much in the actual story apart from a few dialogue lines here and there to reference changes in language between Hylian and Va Ehenív where Hylians would not understand. However, most, if not all, of this tale is centered around Ganondorf, so the direct changes in language will be minimal. Please look it up if you want to learn it!_


	2. Zx

_Zx_

* * *

Ganondorf never has a reason to return to Hyrule until the untimely death of King Daphnes. Even then, he doesn't particularly _want_ to make an appearance at the castle, but in the back of his mind, he's desperate to see how Zelda is doing. Through the scarce letters he's received (in ever improving Ehenív, might he add) he's learned a lot about her, about how she's used as a pretty little doll to sit around while her father prepares the kingdom for her reign. About how once she's crowned queen, the council will have more power than her. About how she had the Gerudo women hide all books about their culture because her father ordered them to be burned. About how she desperately wished she could escape to the desert and never return home.

And for a long time, Ganondorf wished that he could make her wishes come true. But the Gerudo and the Hylians _have_ been on very good terms and he doesn't want to completely jeopardize that.

But when one of her letters comes in and asks if he can be present at her father's funeral, he cancels all his previous engagements and sets out for the castle. He leaves Lisasu in charge, because she was once leader and she knows her way around his people.

It takes a few days to make it to the castle but when he does, the people do not welcome him like they did years prior. Instead they regard him with fear, as if he is about to strike them down, although he is clearly weaponless. He'd decided that bringing his massive sword wouldn't be the wisest. "I'm here to see the princess. And attend King Daphnes' funeral." He holds up the letter she'd sent. "I've a written letter from Her Highness if you don't believe me."

A guard approaches carefully, taking the letter and skimming it. He hands it back and gestures to the gatekeepers to open the gates, and Ganondorf steps forward. "Her Highness is in the throne room. You're just in time for the service, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," Ganondorf replies, and he walks inside to the throne room, his long cape billowing behind him. There's no one in the large foyer, so he deduces that everyone in the castle must be gathered in the throne room.

When he opens the door and peeks in, he does so quietly. Everyone inside is facing the throne, where he can see a coffin resting in front of the large chair, the king's crown sitting on top. He stays in the back of the room, near the door, arms folded as he listens to that small balding minister, the same from years ago, lead the massive group in prayer. It's a practice that he finds isn't so different from the Gerudo, apart from the constant asking of blessings from the Goddesses.

A body steps next to him and a small hand rests on his bicep. When he looks down, he frowns slightly at the princess' melancholy look, but doesn't say anything, just offers her his silent condolences by placing his hand over hers. She smiles and leans her head against him. He hadn't even noticed she'd approached, nor where she had come from.

At some point she's had enough because she leads him out of the room, and down the empty hallways. They walk side-by-side, and for the first time out of all his incarnations, he looks at the walls to appreciate the art. "Shouldn't you be in there? He was your father."

Zelda smiles wistfully. "Your Hylian has improved quite a bit since the last time you were here." He growls at her, and she raises a hand to her lips to stifle a giggle. "I'm in no room to talk," she continues, in slightly accented Ehenív, "for I've been practicing ever since the last time we saw each other." She takes in a deep breath. "And I'm not needed in there. I was just standing to the side like a statue to remind everyone that the kingdom still has an heir."

"Except they don't, really," Ganondorf says, and she doesn't respond. "Daphnes may have been a kind king to your people but he was never really a good father, according to your letters. You have no idea how to rule a kingdom, do you?"

"The council will have full control until I become of age to take the crown."

"And then?"

"And then?" Zelda bites her lip and pushes some of her dark blonde hair out of her face. "And then they'll use me as a puppet while they control Hyrule."

"Disgusting," he huffs. "All your predecessors ruled this country with an iron fist all on their own when the time came. I've _never_ _heard_ of a daughter of Wisdom being _used_ by a _council."_

"Well, the minister-"

"What does he know of ruling a kingdom?" Ganondorf asks, turning to face her. She's still so small, not yet grown into the body of a proper ruler, and he shouldn't be so harsh, but he _has_ to break the walls the late king had put up around her. "The blood of the monarchy runs in you, Zelda, and no one else. You're not someone that they can just put in a cage and show off to the land. _You're_ the only one capable of ruling this country and ruling it _well."_

"And then you'll just come around and take it from me, I suppose?" she retorts, and Ganondorf jumps back a bit in surprise at her harsh tone. "Like you've tried in the past?"

"I'll make this painfully clear, Your Highness; if I had _any_ intention of taking this pathetic kingdom I would have done so already. But my pride refuses to let me take it without a fight and you're not quite ready for one." Ganondorf sighs. "Besides, you were so interested in Ehenív and my culture that I stopped wanting to take over some time ago."

She narrows her eyes at him, trying to see if he's lying, so he adds, "I do not wish to fight you, Zelda."

She relaxes her stance and continues walking, Ganondorf following her. "I missed you, you know," she says, looking up at the high ceilings. "I asked a few times if we could send an invitation for you to join us for a dinner, but Father always refused. He was old-fashioned. Wasn't particularly a fan of your people."

"Trust me, he had made it blatantly obvious years ago. He burned all my people's books, did he?"

Zelda nods, and they walk into a small bed chamber at the end of a long hallway. Ganondorf is reluctant to step inside, but Zelda pulls him in by the hand. "Relax," she says.

"I shouldn't be in here," Ganondorf replies, staying close to the door, even as Zelda closes it. "If anyone catches me in here-"

"What would they do?"

"They'd accuse me of not only bedding an unmarried woman but the unmarried princess of the kingdom." He crosses his arms and leans against the wall when Zelda approaches him. "Of course, I would _never_ because I know better and I'm not some animal."

"People _have_ called you a pig in the past."

"I _will_ hit you."

Zelda laughs, stepping close enough that her forehead gently touches the breastplate of his armor. He reaches up and pats her head, like he did some time ago, and she hums. "How old are you now?" he asks quietly, as she presses her cheek to his chest with a soft sigh.

"Fourteen. I was six when you last saw me."

"I'm surprised you even recognized me."

She pulls back, raising a brow at him. "How could I not? You haven't changed, apart from growing out your hair a little and your new crown." She raises a hand and it barely makes it over his head, even when she strains on her toes. "And you're still as tall as a tree!"

He grins, one of his canines snagging on his lip and making him look more cocky than he already is. "Wish I could say the same about you. You've gotten taller, your hair's a little darker, your face has gotten slimmer." He puts his hands on her cheeks and looks at her more carefully, squeezing just enough to make her lips pucker obnoxiously. "Have you been eating enough?"

"My father may have kept me from a lot, but my cooks sure didn't." She shakes her head away with a laugh, taking a step back and twirling around. "And just my face has changed? Nothing else?"

Ganondorf averts his gaze, staring at her vanity in the corner that's covered more in paper than makeup, like his sisters' vanities. "You're playing a dangerous game, princess."

"I've talked with my council about marrying you."

Ganondorf's knees buckle suddenly and he has to catch himself on the wall. " _Excuse me?"_ he asks, in Hylian, because for a second he's completely forgotten Ehenív. "What have they said?"

"They're all very much against it, no surprise." She sits down in one of her cushioned chairs, most of her wight settling against the arm. "They think you'll return to your _barbarian_ ways and drive Hyrule into ruin."

"How can I return to barbarian ways if I haven't been a barbarian yet?" he chuckles with a shake of his head. "Your council is filled with morons."

"Remember they'll be ruling when I become queen."

"Even if you marry?"

Zelda shakes her head. "That's why I mentioned you. If I married you, it would satiate your deep-rooted desire for Hyrule _and_ the council won't have have control because there will be a king." She shrugs. "You could keep me like a pretty little doll on a shelf while you did whatever you want."

" _If_ I married you," he begins, using his foot to push off of the wall and walk to her dresser where a small tiara sits on a decorative pillow. He can tell this is from her early years, because there's no way it can fit her now. He's surprised that she's not wearing one now, since it's her father's funeral and she even said that she was used more as a item to show off. "I would never keep you from your duties. You have a duty to your people, and I won't keep you from that. You are more than capable of ruling a country if you're taught how."

Zelda looks at him, face flushed red as she tried to smoothen a tangle in her hair that isn't there. He finds that he likes to see her squirm in this way. It's different than when he's conquering her land, because then she's terrified of him, while this is more of an embarrassed squirm that he doesn't often see in the Gerudo. His women were strong and unafraid of what they dish out, while Hylians were often more reserved.

(This is most obvious, he notes, with how they dress, but that's also in part because the Gerudo live in the hot desert and can't really wear the multiple layers that Hylians wear on a daily basis.)

He smiles. "This is a hypothetical, of course, I hope you understand."

"Y-yes, yes, of course." She clears her throat. "I understand very well."

"However, if you were serious about a proposal, I _would_ accept." He covers his face with his hand. "Never thought I would _ever_ say that to a daughter of Wisdom."

"I never thought I would strike a friendship with the son of Power, either," Zelda snaps, but there's no real anger, because she's smiling.

"You're insinuating something _more_ than friendship, young princess." Ganondorf falls into a chair near her, crossing his massive legs as the chair creaks and Zelda looks at it. He smirks, because he's always resigned from sitting on Hylian furniture because it isn't created for his stature. "A young unmarried woman like yourself really _shouldn't_ be talking about marriage with a man in your bedroom. _Scandalous."_

"A young, unmarried man like yourself shouldn't have followed me into my bed chambers, Your Majesty." She giggles, and when Ganondorf moves to rest his elbows on his knees, the chair finally lets out its final croak and breaks into small pieces underneath him. He lets out a roar of a laugh that invites Zelda to join in, sliding from her chair to sit next to him on the floor. Once their giggle-fest came to a stop, Zelda looks up at Ganondorf, who, even while they're sitting next to each other on the floor, towers over her by at least two heads. "I'm only talking about marriage with you because so far, you're the only one I would think to marry."

"We're technically _enemies,_ Zelda," Ganondorf whispers as she tucks herself against his chest. "Your council will-"

" _You_ were the one hounding my council earlier for controlling my reign and now you're going to _complain_ that the council won't like it if we married?" Zelda asks incredulously, snorting a little. "Make up your mind, Ganondorf."

"I hate them. And they hate me."

"They'll just choose someone that I can marry to resolve conflicts with another country. Conflicts that can be easily solved through a treaty or two. The feud between Hyrule and the Gerudo needs more than a piece of paper dictating rules." Ganondorf raises an eyebrow. "I haven't _just_ been reading books on Ehenív, you know. I snuck in a few of Gerudo and Hyrule's history books as well."

"Keep reading then," he says as he presses his forehead to hers and she hums happily. "Maybe you'll find something that will tell you how to get past your council and marry a man of a 'barbarian' race."

She smiles and their noses touch when she scoots a little closer. "Is that a yes?"

Ganondorf chuckles lowly. "I won't answer to anything that isn't a proper proposal."

* * *

 _tis been a long time but i have returned_

 _my dog zelda died and i need something to keep my mind off of it and i decided to finally get my booty into gear and post chapter two as well as continue writing this beast. im super proud of lady of the sand so i wanna work on it._

 _zel baby this is for you, mommy misses you so much._


	3. Za

_Za_

* * *

Ganondorf falls onto his cot with a puff of air he didn't realize he's been holding as his grip on his most recent letter from the princess of Hyrule doesn't lessen.

Zelda was a fantastically hilarious princess and he _loves_ it.

He gets back up and walks out of his bedchamber, ready to take a look around the fortress and see what needs to be done around if he's planning on leaving again. He hasn't had a chance to leave the desert like he did for Daphnes' funeral five years ago, because a king is a king and he can't just abandon his royal duties to the Gerudo. As leader of the tribe he has to oversee the trade and harvesting, among other things, and it's kept him very busy, and Zelda's constant letters asking him to visit were always solemnly answered with an apology that he can't. And he knew better than to ask her to visit the desert, because that forsaken _council_ would have an absolute meltdown if she ever told them she was invited to the desert for a night or two.

"My king," a sister greets with a surprised voice when he bumps into her, almost literally.

"Lisasu," he replies. She's aged well over the years, and prides herself in being one of the closest advisors Ganondorf has ever had. She knows her sisters well, and has years of experience under her belt with being the leader of the Gerudo, which Ganondorf is ever thankful for, because the knowledge of how he led his tribe in the past doesn't always help him in the present. "You sound surprised to see me."

"You're humming," she says flatly, leaning against her spear. "I can't even name a time during your _childhood_ when you hummed."

Ganondorf's smile fades away as he stares down at his old leader. "I can't be happy?"

"Didn't say that, my king." She pokes his chest. "What's got you so happy all of a sudden? Has a sister returned with child?" Lisasu wriggles her eyebrows. "Or...maybe a sister is carrying _your_ child?"

"Absolutely not," he growls, and Lisasu laughs. "You of all people should know I wouldn't bed a woman I didn't marry first."

She shrugs. "I don't know, my king, you started becoming a rebellious child at twelve and I wasn't sure if you were getting properly educated."

Ganondorf squints at her, but then smiles smugly. "Speaking of marriage-" he waves the letter he received from Zelda "-Zelda sent me a letter."

"Is Hyrule's princess finally being married off?" Lisasu asks.

"You could say that." He adjusts his imaginary glasses and puffs out his chest, holding the letter in front of him. "'Dear King Ganondorf Dragmire, it has come to my attention that the ongoing issues surrounding the treatment of the Gerudo by the Hylians, and vice versa, has seen its brighter days recently.'"

"At least she acknowledges both sides of the issue and not just 'we treat them bad'."

"'Therefore it is with my greatest honor that I ask for you, Great King of the Gerudo and wielder of the Triforce of Power, King Ganondorf, to take my hand in marriage.'"

Lisasu's smile slides off of her face as she catches herself on her spear when her knees buckle. _"What?"_ she asks incredulously, reaching up for the paper but Ganondorf turns away. "My king, _please_ let me see that."

"'I sincerely hope you take this into consideration and respond within a timely manner, may it be letter or in person. Yours, Princess Zelda Hyrule.' Oh, and let's not forget the post-script, 'I told you I wanted to marry you. Hopefully this is serious enough.'"

"You've _talked_ about this with her?!" Lisasu yells, and Ganondorf folds the letter to put it away. "When?"

"A few years ago?" Ganondorf put a hand to his chin in thought. "At her father's funeral, I believe. Although it's more proper to say we skipped and spent hours in her bedchambers."

"In her _what?!"_ The woman rubs the bridge of her nose as she tries to calm down. "My king, may I speak freely?"

"Of course."

"Gan, I have raised you after your mothers were otherwise prioritized and I know _this_ you better than anyone else in this fortress. I've seen you during your night terrors and I've learned from _you_ what your past lives have done. It isn't written in fate that you befriend that daughter." She glares at Ganondorf's back when he turns on her and begins walking down the hallway. But she follows dutifully. "It certainly isn't written that you're to _wed_ her, either. What would Koume and Kotake think?"

At that, Ganondorf actually stops in his tracks. "I know you care deeply about what they think, Gan. All you've ever wanted was to be seen as a true king in their eyes."

"Leave my mothers out of this."

"You're going to have to tell them."

"They _predicted_ this." He turns to face her, backing her into a wall as he stalks forward. She's terrified, as she should be, but Ganondorf knows that she's well aware he won't hurt her. His sisters are sacred. "They're _mages,_ and you know of their vague prophecies just as well as I do."

Lisasu bites her lip and looks away. Ganondorf sighs, places his hands on her shoulders and rubs his thumbs against her skin, in hopes to bring her some comfort. "You never told me. They must mean something else, you're supposed to try to _kill_ the princess, not _marry_ her!"

"Lisasu."

"If you for a second think that I'm going to let you wed that Hylian _wench-"_

Her voice cuts when Ganondorf snatches her spear away and pins her to the concrete wall with it, eyes glowing a fiery molten gold. He can see the shiver that takes a hold of Lisasu's entire body as she swallows hard. He doesn't back away at her fear, instead pushes closer, pressing her tighter against the wall, and he hears her breath hitch as it escapes. "You are done speaking as you please, Lisasu." Ganondorf drops the spear and Lisasu falls with it, a hand at her throat as she tries to catch her breath. "Should you call Zelda a derogatory word like that again, I will _not_ hesitate to break our people's rules just to put you in your place."

Lisasu glares up at him, staggering back to her feet as he watches her carefully. "You were not to fall in love with her."

"I haven't," he simply says as he walks away. "At least not yet," he adds under his breath. "I'm going to see my mothers. Don't bother me anymore, get back to your post."

Lisasu straightens her back. "Yes, my king."

He doesn't hear her footsteps behind her and he carries on, exiting the fortress and heading into the Wasteland, set on making it to the Desert Colossus, where the sacred temple was hidden in the sand. The Twinrova were almost always there now, sending their prayers to the Goddess of the Sand while watching their people from a distance and acting only when necessary.

Ganondorf supposes that he loves them, he _has_ to, they're his mothers after all, but at the same time he resents them for never being there as he grew up. He had Lisasu to raise him but Lisasu has never been an actual mother and could never really fill the gap Ganondorf needed. Of course, whenever the sister mages came to see over the fortress, they requested that Ganondorf follow them, learning the ropes of being someone worthy of a leader position from a person other than Lisasu.

(Ganondorf knows that Koume and Kotake don't exactly like his adoptive mother. They're not all about the way she's raised him, and he finds that contradictory to how _they_ raised him. Which they didn't.)

When the great statue of the goddess comes into view he almost sprints to it, but keeps his composure. Wouldn't want the Twinrova to be upset with him being exhausted. He steps over the stone pedestal barely sticking up from the sand, not completely covered up from the era of the Hero of Time, and he does his best to not scowl at it like he usually does when he visits.

Ganondorf steps into the temple and takes a deep breath, smiling at the scent of incense permeating through the large foyer. A small woman on a broom flies out from one of the many doors, and stops when she spots her guest. "My son!" Koume cries, her red gem catching the light from on of the few windows carved into the stone. "We've been expecting you."

"I'm sure you have been," he replies, embracing her when she drops down close. "Where is…?"

"Oh, I don't know where that little mushroom has gone. Kotake!" The mage flies up high again, leaving Ganondorf to shuffle his feet. "Kotake, my dearest, our son is here!"

"Yes, yes, I know, I saw," another, similar voice replies, flying in from the room opposite that Koume came in from. "Hello, son, it is so nice to see you."

"Hello, Mother."

"You have something to tell us?" Koume asks, tilting her head to the side.

"It's important?" Kotake adds, lowering to float next to her sister.

"Yes." He takes in a deep breath, shoulders rising with the inhale. "I'm getting married."

"Oh!" Kotake flies around him, a trail of icy mist trailing from the end of her broom. "This is exciting news! Who is the wonderful Geurdo that you're to wed?"

"It's not a Gerudo, Mothers. It's the princess of Hyrule."

Kotake stops suddenly, and Koume's already wide eyes stretch a little further. They're silent, and Ganondorf trembles under their gazes, fiddles with his fingers, and finds everywhere _else_ to look besides them. "You said you _saw_ this. A union between the Gerudo and Hyrule. You're getting it with this marriage."

"We didn't think you'd actually _marry_ into the Royal Family," Kotake says, looking down at him from her position in the air. "We were hoping for a treaty or two, nothing more. A successful invasion at best. You're supposed to _kill_ the princess!"

Ganondorf crosses his arms. "Wow, you hate Lisasu but that's _exactly_ what she said to me."

"Because it's what the Gods intend of you," Koume says. Her sister lands next to her in a short burst of ice magic, and Koume dispels it with her fire almost automatically. "You are at an eternal war with the child of Courage and the daughter of Wisdom. That has been the way of the world since Demise cursed the three of you."

"That was thousands of years ago, Mother," Ganondorf reasons. "Things can change."

"Things like this; things dictated by the Holy Trinity are not _meant_ to change."

"Do you think I'm not at war with myself about this?" Ganondorf bellows. "When I first met the princess I thought I would kill her and take this kingdom. But she was curious about my language, about our _culture,_ and even now she's still learning Ehenív through the letters we send back to back. She's genuinely curious about us as a people and not as the _barbarians_ that have raged war because of something _they_ did to us. I don't _want_ to kill her, Mothers, even if it's what I'm _born_ in this world to do. I _want_ to see where this goes and what can come of it. If everything can change when we put our minds to it."

"She's the princess of Hyrule, son." Koume glares at him, crinkling up her nose in disgust when he slouches in shame. "She and that wretched Hero have killed you over and over again."

"I've killed them a few times, too. It's an equal playing field." He straightens his back and clenches his fists. He's the king of the Gerudo and even his mothers can't treat him like absolute garbage. "Say what you will, but I _am_ marrying Zelda. With or without your blessing. I'm leaving for the castle in the morning. I'll be back when I finalize a date for the wedding and come to announce it to my sisters."

Kotake approaches him, carefully, so to not spark up his rage any further. "My son, we just want what's best for you."

"This marriage _is_ what's best for me. And for our people."

Ganondorf turns on his heel and leaves the temple, not before hearing one of the twins whisper, "What are we going to do, my plum?"

"He's a lost cause, now, my mushroom. What a disappointment of a king."

Ganondorf growls, and continues out into the desert. If his mothers don't approve of his wedding with Zelda, they just won't be invited. He doesn't need their approval, ultimately. He's an adult, the king of a group of people, and perfectly capable of making his own, sound decisions.

He doesn't need his mothers to _bring him down._

* * *

 _authors notes:_

 _woop there it is  
i really cant wait to delve into gan's relationship with the twinrova and how zelda will try to fix it  
hi there im back yall_


	4. Ze

_Ze_

* * *

Zelda greets Ganondorf at the gates when he arrives at the castle a few days after meeting with his mothers. He's exhausted, emotionally drained, and just wants to fall onto a bed and sleep for three days. He's been beating himself up over what they told him and what they said and spent most of his trip into Hyrule wondering if he truly was worthy of his crown before smacking himself over the head because he was _born_ for this crown. Zelda frowns at him when he approaches her and extends her hand for him to take. He does, and she squeezes his fingers. "Is everything alright?" she asks softly in his native tongue, and her minister harrumphs next to her.

"I'll tell you in privacy, but no." Ganondorf smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Some issues regarding our upcoming marriage."

She brightens up and squeezes his hand again. "So, you accept my proposal?"

"Of course. You _were_ serious and I _did_ say that I would accept a serious proposal and nothing less." He squeezes back. "I humbly accept, Your Highness."

Zelda seemingly vibrates in her skin and turns to the minister at her side. "Go inform my council that the marriage has been approved by my fiancé. We'll be in the library discussing the terms of the union."

The minister mutters his answer and leaves, and Zelda places her hand on Ganondorf's arm when he offers it and steers him toward the gardens. "There's a secret entrance that I created a few years ago in the back of the gardens. It'll be an easy way to get in without having everyone stare at you and whisper about you. Although they've been doing that since I told someone in _confidence_ that I sent you a proposal."

"They will never quite understand, Zelda," Ganondorf chuckles. "And I _must_ commend you on your Ehenív; I can barely hear your accent."

"I've been practicing with the Gerudo in the castle. They're teaching me how to pronounce a few more difficult words. There's still some that I don't understand but I'm sure with our marriage you'll teach me more."

Ganondorf smiles softly. He always expected that she would lose her interest in his culture but even now, at the age of her coronation, she is still so wrapped in Ehenív that it warms his heart. Ganondorf doesn't _want_ to admit that he's slowly falling in love with her but it's true and he isn't sure if he _hates_ it or not. He's _supposed_ to, like the Twinrova and Lisasu said, but he _can't_ find it in himself to wish for her death. Maybe the Hero's, because it's always him that kills Ganondorf in the end while the Zelda hides behind him.

He looks down at the girl on his arm as she guides him through the shrubbery and gardens to a small wooden door on the wall. And _small_ is an understatement—he's sure Zelda wouldn't even be able to fit in there. He stops suddenly, and Zelda almost falls over when she tries to continue forward. "Zelda, how do you expect me to fit through _that_?"

She smirks up at him, tipping her head back. "I told you that I made this door. I can change its size to accommodate you without much issue. I can't have anyone else find it and use it. It leads into the basement hallway and can't be seen from inside." She grins broadly, and Ganondorf can clearly see in her eyes how proud of herself she is. She mentioned in a few letters that she's never really been able to practice with her magic when her father was alive because he was afraid she'd make some sort of a mess. Her council is indifferent about it all, so she's bragged about how much her magic has improved.

Her Triforce begins to glow on her hand and she presses it against the door, calling forth her powers and Ganondorf watches in amazement as the door grows in size until it's big enough to fit him. He whistles as she opens the door and looks down the hall in both directions, before ushering him in quickly and returning the door back to its original size. It's dark and musty and Ganondorf takes a second to get accustomed to the sudden darkness. The torches aren't lit and the minimal light is coming from the small windows near the ceiling. Zelda spins around and smiles up at him, to which Ganondorf responds by gently patting the top of her head, careful not to displace her diadem. She giggles happily and places her hand back on his arm, walking down the silent hall.

"It's really quiet down here," he comments, and she hums in response.

"The basement is only really used for the dungeons and in some rare cases as bedchambers for soldiers that need a place to recuperate after battle," she explains. "Guards only do rounds near the cells, so we have nothing to worry about here."

They go up two flights of stairs and Ganondorf has to squint at the sudden bright light from the main floor. He trusts Zelda to guide him while his eyes take some time to adjust _again._ He's convinced Zelda is trying to blind him. He's been blind in one lifetime and it wasn't his best and he doesn't want to go through it again.

She opens a grand door and he dutifully follows her inside, looking around in awe at the multitude of bookshelves standing up in the room, the couches all cozied up near a fireplace, and the second floor with the walls completely coated in books. Ganondorf isn't surprised that the Royal Family had some books on Ehenív, and he wouldn't be surprised if not all were burned because there were just so _many._ He makes a beeline for a couch and falls onto it, moaning in satisfaction at the warmth of the fire. He can hear Zelda's soft giggle, but he doesn't care how ridiculous he looks; he's tired and this is what he's been waiting for.

He turns over when Zelda approaches with a leather-bound book in her hands, and fixes his position so he's reclined against the arm of the couch and pats his lap. "If you want to," he whispers, because he doesn't want to overstep her boundaries, they're not married yet so there can still be complications if they're caught and he doesn't know if she'll want to take that kind of risk. But she sets her book on the table and takes his offer and settles comfortably against his chest, whining briefly about the breastplate of his armor and goes _herself_ to unbuckle it and remove it. Once it's on the floor next to them she presses her cheek against the soft material of his shirt and sighs.

"You always wear that plate," she whispers, tapping her finger in time of his heartbeat.

"It's to protect myself from any attacks." He takes in a deep breath and watches in amusement as she rises with it and then sinks back down. "You can never be too careful."

Zelda snorts. "Especially when you're considered royalty."

" _Especially."_

There's a beat of silence. "You'll really let me have control of the kingdom when we marry? You won't go back on your word?"

"Yes." He puts his hand on her back. "I'll admit I never valued your past lives like I value other women, because they always killed me and fought with me and so I stopped thinking that they were free from harm, but you're a different kind of Zelda. I've never seen you _once_ try to go behind my back and plot something. I value women, Zelda, and I would never take power away from them. Moreso a woman that I marry. I will not own you, and you will not own me. We will both be our own people, not tied down by the other. We will come to conclusions together, work them out together, and be responsible for things _together."_

"I'm just glad I'll be able to rule the country and not the council."

" _Please_ don't mention that council."

She snorts again. It's so unlike a princess but she doesn't seem to care around him and honestly, he finds it cute. "They hate that we're marrying."

"Because their _dainty_ little princess is marrying a _barbarian_ like me."

"I'm not dainty!" she protests. "And _you're_ not a barbarian."

Ganondorf chuckles, placing his overly large hand on her head and smoothing her hair down. They lay in silence for a little while, with nothing but the crackling of the fire echoing through the room. "What about," Zelda says suddenly, and Ganondorf can feel her stiffen. "What about the night of the wedding?"

The man blinks up at the ceiling. He'd had a feeling she'd be worried about this particular part of their union. "Is there a Hylian tradition regarding the consummation?" he asks, and Zelda takes a moment to think about it.

"No?" She bites her lip. "If you mean does someone need to be present, no. It's normally just...socially expected for a couple to bed."

"We don't have to," he whispers. She looks at him in surprise, and he cups her cheek. Her cheeks are flushed red, and he can see the apprehension in her eyes. "Again, I value women. I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. We'll take this all one step at a time."

She smiles softly, and he can't help but smile back. Zelda hides her face back in his shirt and kicks her legs in the air. "I'm sorry," she mumbles, and he can barely hear her. "This is so embarrassing."

"Hylians are so quiet about sex," Ganondorf laughs, and he can feel the heat of Zelda's cheeks on his skin through the thin material of his shirt. "It's nothing that serious."

"It is! It's the only way a man and a woman could be truly intimate."

"You wouldn't call _this_ intimate?" he asks, gesturing to the position they were laying in. Zelda on top of him, her lower body fitting snugly between his legs and one of his arms wrapped loosely around her waist while the other stays close to her head. Her hands are wound around his torso in a hug, chest against his stomach. "We are close physically, but not engaged in sex. It's still a form of intimacy."

She pouts. "My council-"

" _Again_ with the council. Zelda, they don't know what they're talking about. They were told to teach you what the king thought was right, and I can tell you from lives of experience that a lot of their information is wrong."

" _My council_ said that intimacy is when a man and a woman are joined together. You're saying that _this_ is a form of intimacy."

"People don't have to even be touching to be intimate. They can have a very intimate conversation, which is often just something that goes on for a while because you _like_ talking with each other. Like we are now."

"So... there doesn't have to be anything romantic involved?"

"Sex isn't always romantic, Zelda." He stifles a laugh at her confused face. "Sometimes it's nothing but instinct. Sometimes it's raw and uncontrolled. Sometimes it's forced. There's possibility for anything."

"Forced…?" she asks tentatively.

"I won't force you, princess, I've already promised that. We'll go at your pace. We'll do whatever you want us to do."

"You won't be mad if we have to wait?"

" _What_ did they teach you?" Ganondorf demands, sitting up and in turn making Zelda sit up as well. He looks her in the eye and glares a bit. _"You_ are _not_ an object to be used by your husband whenever he so pleases. Don't let that cloud your mind. If I'm up to get into bed and you're not, I will respect your decision because you have a _right_ to your own body. I would _never_ tell you that you _must_ get into bed because I'm in the mood."

Zelda looks up at him and flushes again, reaching out and taking his hand that is clenched on his lap, intertwining his fingers. "I'm sorry for all these questions."

"Don't ever be. I'll answer any that you have. Your curiosity is valuable." He huffs and Zelda tilts her head in confusion. "Besides, it's not inherently _your_ fault that you have so many questions."

Zelda rolls her eyes with a smile and headbutts him, to which he lets out a puff of air and falls back playfully, bringing her down with him. "What is the book that you brought from the shelves?" he asks, eyeing it from where it sits on the table, gently illuminated by the fire's light. He can barely catch a squiggle of Ehenív on the cover but can't spell what it could say. He's happy enough knowing that it's most likely a novel written by his people, even if it looks incredibly old.

"A novel in Ehenív. _'Lady of the Sand'_."

"Ah," he sighs. _"Me Príl._ Directly translates to _'Sand Woman'._ A romance, of an indigenous man and a woman from outside his culture." He chuckles. "I've read it once or twice in the past. It's a classic story to our people."

"It's incredibly romantic," she says. "I'm sometimes catching myself and having to stop because there's words and phrases I can't really understand, so I go to your sisters and get help. But what I've read so far is really wonderful."

"I'm glad you think so," Ganondorf says with a smile and a nuzzle. "I'll help you read whenever you want me to."

"Really? Thank you." Zelda smiles at the book. "Your culture is so in love with art, it's amazing."

"Of course! Art is an expression."

Zelda giggles. "So, you like art?"

"I prefer very high-quality pieces, myself."

"Oh?"

Ganondorf wraps his arms around the princess, lifting her up to meet his eyes. Her face flushes, and he smirks. "Yes. And I think I've found the most beautiful piece I've ever had the pleasure of seeing."

She tilts her head to the side. "I thought you said I wasn't an object."

"You're not," he purrs. "You're far more than that."

Zelda bites her lip, leans in, and kisses his mouth.

* * *

 _authors notes:_

 _now that i have a computer again i can update this without worry_

 _love me_


	5. Zü

Zü

* * *

Gerudo weddings are an extravagant thing, due mainly to their rareness and lack of traditional values (Ganondorf can count how many lifetimes he spent being married and having half of the tribe shed their clothing at the bonfire following the ceremony), but Ganondorf had never realized just how much detail goes into Hylian ones. He's been pricked by needles more times than he can count by the seamstresses and he's sure that they doing it because they don't particularly care about hurting him. He has to stay at least until the fittings are finished, and because of his abnormally large size it's taking a lot longer than he would like. He still has to return to the desert and tell his sisters of the date for the wedding, and he's half convinced he won't be able to make it in time at this point.

When the twilight coats the land and all the commotion for the day is finished, he goes to retrieve Zelda from the clutches of her council, who all give him dirty looks while he leans against the doorframe, silently watching as they slowly destroy her country right under her nose. Ganondorf is aware that he'll have a lot to pick up after the two of them are coronated, but he's promised Zelda the prosperity of her land and the control of a true ruler, so a lot of it will be easier than most.

"Holodrum has sent word that Calatia to the west has been building up what seems to be an army." Ganondorf looks up from the ground in alarm. In all his lives, Calatia has always been a peaceful country that refrains from getting involved with the eternal war in Hyrule. "While we shouldn't take this lightly, it is also worth mentioning that the inhabitants of Subrosia have been acting up as well, and there may just be an underlying factor since we've announced the royal wedding."

"Subrosia?" another man asks, standing. Zelda looks up at him as he continues, "You mean that molten place under Holodrum? I thought the Subrosians had long been extinct."

"There is a possibility for other beings living there."

"Lord Mazal, if I may," Zelda says, lifting her hand to stop the two from arguing further. This _Mazal_ rolls his eyes and gestures for her to go on. "The Subrosians have been thriving underneath Holodrum for centuries, the rumors that they've gone extinct is something created by our people. A long time ago, their land was destroyed by Holodrum's Temple of Seasons when Onox took the Oracle of Seasons captive. It's quite possible that they're rising to get revenge after so many long centuries."

"This is no time for one of your petty bedtime stories, Your Highness," Mazal snarls, and Zelda curls in on herself at his tone. "It's common knowledge that the Subrosians have long perished."

Ganondorf growls lowly, just quiet enough that no one can hear him, and holds back from using his dark magic to harm the councilman. What Zelda had said is true and of _course_ these men are trying to take her voice away. Ganondorf can't _wait_ until she gains power over them.

Zelda stands and Mazal stutters in the middle of what he was saying, looking at her in shock as she packs up her papers and leaves her chair. "Your Highness?"

"Forgive me, Mazal," she says over her shoulder, "but my fiancé has come to get me to talk more about my wedding."

"Which is more important, princess?" he asks, and she stiffens when she reaches Ganondorf's outstretched arm.

"Obviously, the wedding," Ganondorf says, and the council begins to whisper. "She'll be able to make her own decisions without any of your help and won't be shot down for telling the truth. I'm sure she'd take care of the problem of Calatia's rising army far better than any of you can." He wraps a strong arm around her shoulders and pulls her out of the large room, his boots pounding against the marble flooring. He's amazed it hasn't cracked under his weight yet. Marble has never been the strongest stone and he wonders why Hyrule Castle always uses it every time it's rebuilt.

Zelda can barely keep up without tripping over her incredibly long skirts so he hoists her up, and with a squeak she wraps her arms around his neck as she settles her bottom into the crook of his elbow. He knows she can tell that he's beyond enraged, and he also knows that she's going to be gentle with him until he completely calms down. He has no problem with that.

Ganondorf suddenly stops in the middle of the hallway, looking over at his passenger. "Where do you want to go?"

Zelda bites her lip and thinks for a second. "My bedchambers?"

He smiles and kisses the side of her head. "Your wish is my command," he says and the continues down the long hallways until he reaches her bedroom door, setting Zelda down so she can open it. He refuses opens the door himself; he doesn't feel like he has the right to yet. This is her bedchamber. When they get married and share a chamber, he'll still exercise caution but won't hesitate in front of the door.

(When he tells Zelda this, she thinks he is overreacting. He simply says that he didn't want to walk in on her privacy. She kisses him in sweet understanding.)

"Is the problem with Calatia new?" he asks her as she removes her diadem, setting it on a royal blue pillow on her vanity. Since the last time he was here, her room has become much more organized, the mess of papers that once covered everything was long gone, and her old, childhood tiara was no longer on her dresser. She's picked herself up from her earlier years, but Ganondorf isn't sure if this is a relatively good thing. She's still bouncy and fun, but there's a possibility that the death of Daphnes really took a toll on her and she's just really good at hiding it.

"No," she responds in a quiet voice, tracing a finger over the large gem on her headpiece. "It's where Link-where the Hero is often born. Where his lineage comes from."

Ganondorf narrows his eyes. "So _he's_ bringing this army up?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. We don't know anything. Holodrum is hesitating to tell us anything after the wedding announcement. Your name is famous across the world, you see." Zelda moves over to her bed and slumps down, head in her hands. She looks weary, and it's not a good look on her. "Some countries have asked if we should put up an embargo."

"Cease trade?" Ganondorf asks, trying to keep his anger at bay. "Trade between countries benefit far more than just Hylians. These borders include the Gorons, Zora, the Deku. They all benefit from trade from Labrynna and Holodrum and _even_ Calatia."

"I _know_ ," Zelda forces, bunching her skirts in her fists. "I'm _trying_ to explain that to my council. They won't _listen_ and I'm starting to think that they're going to go with it. If the trading stops, I can't be certain that the people won't fight back. And they'll fight back at _you_." She looks up at Ganondorf, and the man crosses his arms. "The Hylians all oppose our marriage. I've heard people pray to the Golden Three to bring the Hero to slay you."

Ganondorf doesn't respond. He doesn't want to scare her with his anger, but he can clearly feel his magic itching under his skin, begging to burst out. He keeps that feeling down, hand trembling with how much his Triforce begins to burn. Zelda eyes it and extends her hand, a small smile curling on her lips. He doesn't take it. He doesn't want to hurt her. "Ganondorf," she whispers, and he doesn't meet her eye. "My _king_." He turns his head toward her. She wiggles her fingers in a come hither motion.

"Zel," he says, but she doesn't back down. She stands and bounces over to him, grabbing his hand at a speed that he can't beat, and kisses the back of his hand. The burning goes down a little as his mood evens out. "Thank you."

She nods with a smile.

"How have your fittings been going?" he asks, changing the subject to something more light hearted so his mood wouldn't spike again. Although if he's being honest with himself just thinking about all the stress of a Hylian wedding would probably give him enough anger to last the rest of his lifetime and well into his next one. Those seamstresses just didn't give up.

"If I ignore the disgusting whispers about you and our marriage it's pretty alright."

"At least they _speak_ to you." He clicks his tongue in annoyance. "They just prick me over and over with their needles. And judge me with their glares."

Zelda frowns, biting her bottom lip. Ganondorf's hand comes into her view and pulls her lip from between her teeth, tilting her head up to look into her eyes. "Don't do that," he whispers, "or you'll ruin your pretty lips."

She flushes bright red and tries to look away, but Ganondorf's fingers refuse to let go. He leans down and kisses her gently, smiling when he stands on her toes to reach up and kiss back. She smiles when he pulls away, and he has to smile back. "Soon we'll be married."

"Soon you'll be queen." Oh. The wedding. "I'll have to return to the desert to announce the wedding officially to my sisters and gather those that want to attend. Hopefully your seamstresses won't prick me to death with those needles before I can."

"They won't," Zelda assures him. "I'll ask them to speed up the process so that you can go back home to your sisters. I'd love to see some of them. Maybe Lisasu will come; I haven't seen her in _years_."

Ganondorf frowns. "I don't know. She isn't very happy that I'm getting married to you. Neither are my mothers."

Zelda mirrors his frown and sits down on her large bed, patting the spot next to her for him to sit. The bed creaks loudly when he puts his weight on it, and the pair freeze momentarily before he stands back up and then sits down on the floor instead in front of her feet. He rests his head in her lap. "Your mothers?" she asks, running her fingers through his long red hair, careful to not knock his large diadem out of place.

"Yes. The old mages of the desert, the Twinrova."

"I thought the Twinrova were killed by the Hero of Time?"

"They also reincarnate. It's not like how I do, where I am reborn only when the other two pieces of the Triforce are, but they just are reborn every time they pass on. They are often my mothers."

The princess hums, separating a chunk of his hair into three and beginning to braid it. "I want them to be proud of me," he continues. "I want them to see me as a proper king that can make a change. But they don't think that. They think I'm a failure of a ruler."

"That can't be true. They're your mothers."

"Lisasu raised me more than they did; they're just mothers by title."

Zelda pouts, pulling on his braid to lift his head from her lap, holding his face in her hands. "Even if they're mothers by title alone, they still care about you if they want you to be a great king. Invite them. If they don't come, they're going to regret not being there for you on the best day of your life."

Ganondorf shakes his head out of her hands and moves to nuzzle her stomach, arms wounding around her waist to hold her tight. "I'd honestly just be happy if _you_ were the only one at our wedding."

"I _have_ to be there, I'm your _bride_."

"I still can't believe you're actually going to marry me even if everyone is against it."

Zelda laughs, her stomach clenching with the action. He gently blows a raspberry and she squeaks and clenches harder, and the only thing against his face then is her hard corset. "I'm marrying you because I _want_ to. It'll help our eternal struggle and the bonds between Hyrule and the Gerudo will strengthen. And you're a very pleasant person to be with."

"Your servants think differently."

"They _won't_ prick you to death. I honestly don't even think that's possible."

"You never know."

The two of them fall into a comfortable silence, with Zelda braiding and combing out parts of Ganondorf's unruly mane with her fingers. He feels himself slowly fall asleep against the warmth of her stomach, and the feeling intensifies when the princess starts humming a soft melody under her breath. "Is that your family's lullaby?" he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that can barely be deciphered.

"Yes," she replies. "Should I stop?"

"No." He tightens his hold on her. "Please, no."

"Oh, dear. You're going to be spoiled young man, aren't you?"

He smiles into her dress and nuzzles it softly again. She returns to humming and he feels himself slip into sleep, and he can tell that it's going to be the best that he's had for a while.

* * *

 _author's notes:_

 _ganon is my fave he proteccs zelda_


End file.
